Blueberry Yogurt Muffins

Greek yogurt gives these blueberry muffins a moist, tender crumb without making the batter runny. Coating the berries with a small amount of flour helps distribute them, while minimal folding keeps the crumb light. The recipe makes a full standard muffin pan and works with fresh or frozen blueberries.

Equipment, yield, and timing

Equipment: standard 12-cup metal muffin pan, paper liners, two mixing bowls, whisk, flexible spatula, portion scoop, cooling rack, and optional kitchen scale
Yield: 12 standard muffins
Time: 15 minutes preparation, 18 to 22 minutes baking, and 10 minutes cooling
Oven: 375°F

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour, 240 grams, plus 1 tablespoon for the berries
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/3 cup neutral oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Method

Heat the oven to 375°F. Line all 12 muffin wells. In a large bowl, whisk the 240 grams flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until the leaveners are evenly dispersed.
In a second bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar for about 1 minute, until slightly thickened. Add the yogurt, oil, and vanilla and whisk until the mixture is smooth.
Toss the blueberries with the remaining tablespoon of flour. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and fold only until a few flour streaks remain. Add the berries and fold just until evenly distributed. The batter should be thick and slightly lumpy.
Divide the batter evenly among the wells, filling each about three-quarters full. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, rotating the pan once only if the oven browns unevenly.
The muffins are done when the tops spring back after a light touch and a tester inserted away from a berry shows moist crumbs without wet batter. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack so steam does not soften the bottoms.

Better muffin cues

Tough or peaked muffins usually result from overmixing after the flour becomes wet. Stop folding as soon as no dry pockets remain. Blue streaks are harmless but increase when frozen berries are stirred too much. Dense muffins may come from flour packed into a measuring cup; weighing 240 grams is more reliable. If the berries sink, confirm that they were dry and coated and that the batter was not thinned with extra liquid.

Substitutions and storage

Use frozen blueberries directly from the freezer and expect the upper end of the baking range. Diced strawberries can replace up to half the blueberries if blotted dry. White whole-wheat flour can replace half the all-purpose flour by weight. Vanilla yogurt may replace plain yogurt if the sugar is reduced by 2 tablespoons. Cool muffins completely before covering. Store airtight at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate for up to 4 days. Freeze individually wrapped muffins for up to 2 months and thaw at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator. Discard any muffin that develops visible mold or an off odor.

Blueberry Yogurt Muffins